PJ JacobowitzNikon D300sThe 12.3-megapixel Nikon D300s is a solid D-SLR and a nice speed upgrade if you already own Nikon lenses. But for the same price, Canon offers larger 18-megapixel images and more comprehensive HD-video-capture options with its EOS 7D.

The 12.3-megapixel Nikon D300s is a solid D-SLR and a nice speed upgrade if you already own Nikon lenses. But for the same price, Canon offers larger 18-megapixel images and more comprehensive HD-video-capture options with its EOS 7D.

The $1,699.95 (list, body only) 12.3-megapixel Nikon D300s is a well-rounded D-SLR that captures HD video and can produce beautiful still images, even in low-light situations. And it's incredibly fast, snapping off images at an impressive 7 frames per second (fps). If you already own Nikon lenses and are looking to upgrade to an HD-video-capable model, the D300s is a no-brainer. But when compared with its Canon counterpartthe same-price Canon EOS 7Dthe D300s doesn't quite measure up. The EOS 7D produces larger, 18-megapixel images and has more-comprehensive video options including full 1080p HD capture, while the D300s tops out at 720p.

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Measuring 4.5 by 5.8 by 2.9 inches (HWD) and tipping the scale at 1.88 pounds, the D300s is large, but comparable in size to the EOS 7D. It's very comfortable to use, thanks to well-positioned grips and controls, and the camera's switches, knobs, and buttons provide instant access to settings that would otherwise require you to dig through several menu levels.

The camera's live-view LCD is a beautythe 3-inch screen offers 920K-dot VGA resolution, making it sharper than the display on the Apple iPhone 3GS and identical to the LCD on Nikon's professional-class $5,199.95 (list, body only) D3s.

Fast Focusing
The auto-focusing system on this camera is incredibly fast and accurate. The D300s uses phase detection focusing just like all D-SLRs, aided by 51 autofocus points that are spread throughout the frame. Nikon's entry-level D-SLR, the $549.95 (list, body only) Nikon D3000 offers just 11 autofocus points, while the EOS 7D includes 19 points. The 51 autofocus points on the D300s assist the camera in focusing on an object, even when it's not in the center of the frame. The camera identifies a selected focal point by illuminating it in the viewfinder. The only time focusing speed is compromised is when you're in Live View mode using the LCD as a viewfinder. Live View mode offers face detection, but phase-detection focusing is disabled, leaving focusing duties to the slower contrast-measurement system.

Nikon offers less expensive D-SLRs that can produce comparable image quality, but none can match the speed of the D300sat its full resolution (12.3 megapixels), the camera can shoot 7 images per second. The EOS 7D is slightly faster, capturing larger 18-megapixel images at 8 frames per second.

Image Quality
Typically, I've found that Nikon's D-SLRs tend to produce images that are not extremely sharp, but are captured with extremely low levels of noisethe D300s was no exception. Testing the camera with a Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens and using the Imatest suite to objectively measure image quality, at its sharpest f-stop (f/11) the D300s captured an average of 1,480 lines per picture height at ISO 200 and 1,506 lines at ISO 400 (ISO 100 is not available on Nikon D-SLRs). At ISO 800-3200, the lines captured remained above 1,200. The Canon EOS 7D averages 1,176 and 1,147 lines at ISO 1600 and 3200, respectively, but puts the D300s in its place at lower ISO settingsat ISO 200 and 400, the Canon EOS 7D averaged 1,975 and 1,882 lines per picture height, respectively.

The D300s was a champ at suppressing image noise across all ISO sensitivities, making it ideal for low-light shooting situations. From ISO 200-3200, noise levels remained below 1.5 percentthis means that images captured at these ISO settings won't be visibly noisy. Aside from the EOS 7D, only a few other cameras I've tested offer such low noise levels, including Canon's Rebel T1i and 50D, and Nikon's D90 and D5000.

Video Capture
While I mentioned earlier that the video options on the D300s are slightly limited, the quality of HD video captured with this camera is better than what you'll get with any consumer-grade camcorder, thanks to the camera's larger image sensor. Still, with the EOS 7D you can capture 1080p video at 30 and 24fps, and 720p video at 60 and 30fps. The D300s is limited to 720p HD video at 24fps.

Don't toss aside your camcorder just yet; shooting video with most D-SLRs comes with limitations. For starters, if you attempt to refocus while shooting video, you'll hear noise from the lens motor in your recordings; if you zoom in and out, you'll also get motor noise. And there's no continuous refocus for moving subjects—focusing takes a considerable 2 seconds when using autofocus during recording, given the issues associated with Live View mode I mentioned earlier. Currently, only the Panasonic GF1 and GH1 offer a video experience comparable to what you'd experience with a dedicated camcorder.

Like Canon D-SLRs, the Nikon D300s includes built-in mini USB and mini HDMI ports. These standard ports make it simple to connect the camera to a computer or HDTV. And it's simple (and inexpensive) to replace or buy additional third-party cables.

If you already own Nikon lenses and are looking to step up to a faster camera, the Nikon D300s is an easy decision. If you're looking for more versatile HD-video options, however, and you're not already locked in with Nikon lenses, the same-price Canon EOS 7D is a better buy, with higher-resolution images and more HD capture options. If your budget is limited and you don't need the speed, the $899.95 (list, body only) Nikon D90 is a much more affordable option, offering comparable image quality and HD movie recording for a lot less.

Nikon D300s

Bottom Line: The 12.3-megapixel Nikon D300s is a solid D-SLR and a nice speed upgrade if you already own Nikon lenses. But for the same price, Canon offers larger 18-megapixel images and more comprehensive HD-video-capture options with its EOS 7D.

Nikon D300s

Nikon D300s

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